Coupling for agricultural machinery.



D. M. ENGEL. ooUPLING ron AGBIOULTUBAL MAOHINBBY. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1. 1912.

1,060,441 Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

il N ifllili) STATES PATENT Uiilillitbi.

coUPLING Foa AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY.

l Specification of Letters atent.

Patented Apr. 2e, isis.

Appiicaaon sied August 1,1912. serial No. 712,749.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, DANIEL M. ENGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fairbanks, in the county of Whitman and State of lVashington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Couplers for Agricultural Machinery, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention has reference to couplers for agricultural machinery, and it com rehends, briefly, an improved device of tie class specified which is designed primarily foi' attachment to the draft element of a threshing rig or the like, and for cooperation with the draft bar of a traction engine or its tender, the improvements in question relating more particularly to the working parts of the coupler proper, as hereinafter described at length, which arts are carried entirely by the aforesaid raft element and are so constructed and arranged as to have an automatic trip action during coupling and uncoupling.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the whereof- Figures l and 2 are, respectively, aside elevation and a plan view of the improved cou ler applied to a draft element; Figs. 8 an 4 are enlarged lon itudinal vertical sectional views showing t e positions assumed by the various parts prior to and after cou-v pin Fig. is a horizontal section taken* on t 1e line 5--5 of Fig. 4; and -'Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line (2y-,6 of

Fig. 5. y

n said drawing, A and B indicate fthe two parts to be coupled,`the partAbe'ing the usual draft bar adapted for attachment to the traction engine,- or its tender, while the other part, B, is the draft element of the threshing rig or other kmachine and is here shown as in the nature of a tongue or pole. The coupler C is attached to the second-named part, which latter may advantageously consist, as in the construction illustrated, of main and auxiliary members B1 and B2, the rst of these members being iixed to the rig, while the auxiliary member has a pivotal connection therewith. and carries the cou ler at its front end, the mounting o the said auxiliary mem er enabling it to beswung laterally to either side ofthe main member.

In the present embodiment of the'invention, the auxiliary member is shown as comaccompanying drawing,"

pivotal Y prising upper and lower bars 1 and 2 dislposed, respectively, above and below the solid main member and pivoted at their rear 'ends to a vertical bolt 3 which passes vthrough said main member and, also, through the perforated front ends of a pair of brackets 4 lixed to the top and bottom faces of the main member, the rear ends of the bars being interposed between thc bracket ends and the aforesaid top and bottom faces. The front ends of the bars l and 2 are connected in any suitable manner to a horizontal casing 5 wherein the working parts of the coupler are disposed, thc casing extending forwardly beyond said bars and in axial alinement with the same.. The arrangement is such, therefore, that the auxiliary member B2 of the part B may ber B1 thereof, and the cou ler C as carried by the front end of the sai auxiliary member a slight distance in advance of the corresponding end of the main member. In

swung to veither side of the main member, and will be, in a sense, guided by the latter during its movements, thus permitting the engine, or its tender, to be connected to the -ri with respectV to the same; in other words, the coupling maybe efiected in cases where the relative positionsof the en 'ne and rig are suchas to completely prec ude coupling if Ithe draft element of the rid: were in t e form of ajsingle member rigi ly secured to the 'lans are provided for locking the main and auxiliary members B1 and B2 to 'ether in axial alinement with each other, an also, for effecting such action automatically when the movable auxiliary member B2 reaches the position indicated. To this end, said members are furnished with compleare disposed respectively, in the present instance, upon the fixed and movable members. The lbolt part or element 6 is pref- 'erably in the nature of a plunger controlled portions working in seats 9 and 10 formed, respectively, in'the keeper 7 and in the front en of the member B, the aforesaid from portion"passing also, through a perforu this way, the auxiliary member may be lli be considered as straddling the main memwhile-occupying an angular position mental bolt and keeper parts 6 and 7 which i,

by a spring 8 and having its front and rear 1 tion ll'formcd in the forwardly projectingr central portion .of a yoke 12 whose legs nrc secured to the side faces of said member B,

-ing cut away topermit t ment.

as depicted in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. The stem portion 1e of aie toit is Siidabie in a iongi. tiidinal groove 14 formed in one of the side faces of member B1 and has an out-turned rear terminal l5 that serves as an operating handle, the said roove extending a slight distance rearwar ly beyond the adjacent yoke leg, which latter covers it for the most partand thus serves to retain said stem in place therein. The complemental part or clement 7 is formed by therear wall of casing 5, and is provided with a pair of oppositely-extendin lateral wings 16 whose rear faces are beve ed or inclined toward each other, as shown in Fig. 5, the aforementioned seat 9 being located centrally of said element and between said wings. The arrangement is obviously such, therefore, that when the bolt proper is withdrawn from the seat 9, the auxiliary member may be swung to either side of the main member, as already stated; but when said auxiliary member is returned to its normal position in axial alinement with said main member, the front end of the bolt will ride along the beveled face of the adjacent wing of the keeper until it comes into alinement with seat 9, whereupon it will be automatically rejected into seat under the influence of its spring 8, thus locking the two members together.

The coupler proper consists, preferably, of but two main parts viz., a latch 17 cooperative with the dra bar A on the traction engine and a spring-controlled lock 18 associated with the latch, whereby maximum simplicity and minimum cost, relatively s aking, are obtained. The latch device'is ere shown as a single lever-like element which is pivoted upon a horizontal pin 19 that 'passes through the side walls of casing 5 adacent to the upper edge ofsa-id element. T e forward portion of said latch is enlarged, and its lower portion is slotted, vertcal as indicated by thenumeral 20, slightly in advance of pin 19, while the rear portion is reduced to form a tail-piece 2l that projects toward lock 18 and is isposed above the two jaws 22 and 23 resulting from the formation of said slot. The front jaw 22 is dis osed in advance of pin 19, andjts front e ge has an upward and forward slo e, the rear jaw 23 being located below an approximatel in line with pin 19 and having its rear e gire sloping upwardly and rearwardly. It wi l be seen, therefore, that the latch will have a gravity or drop action, owing to the enlar ement of its forward portion andthe re tion, the front end'ofthe casin forward portion of the tolp wall t ereof bee requisitemovefrontyjaw 22 of' the latch projects a slight distance outwardly of the casing to facilitate its coperation with Normally, the

uction of its rear porv,

and` the the draft bar A, its terminal iestinT upon the slightly up-turned front end of the bottom wall. In consequence, when the encino, or its tender, is backed toward the craft element of the rig, the eye 24 of the draft bar will pass beneath the front jaw 22 of the latch, which latter normally occupies the position represented in Fig. 3, with the aforesaid front jaw slightly raised, and will strike against the rear jaw 23, thus rocking the latch downwardly upon pin 19 and causing jaw 22 to enter the opening in eye 24, whereupon the couplin is completed.

To retain the arts and C cou led, the lock 18 is provi cd, as will he uncei'stood. Said lock is here shown as in the form of a vertically-dis oscd lever which is pivoted at its lower en( to a cross-pin 25 carried by the side walls of casing 5, and is located slightly to the rear of the tail-piece 21, toward which latter it is normally pressed by a suitable spring 26 mounted within the casing. The desired locking action is effecte by the normal engagement of the terminal o the tail-piece 21 with a shoulder 27 produced by enlarging the lower portion of the locking lever, suc engagement precluding the upl 7ard rocking movement of the latch whic is necessary to release the eye 24 from jaw 22. Disengagement may be effected, however, when it is desired to uncouple the aforesaid parts A and C, by extending the stem portion of the lookin lever upwardly through a slot 28 former? in the top wall of the casing, this extended portion being either grasped and operated manually, or connecte to an operating cord, cable, or the like, (not shown). To provide for a discharge of any grain, chan' or other foreign matter which may fall into casing 5 through slot 2 8, said casing is preferably formed at opposite sides with a pair of inclined ho es 29.

In carryin out the uncoupling operation, the latch 17 is first unlocked, by moving the lever 18 rearwardly so as to disengage its shoulder 27 from the tail-piece 21 after which, the engine or tender is move away from the draft element of the rig, such movement causing eye 211 to press against jaw 22 and, in consequence, rock said latch upwardly until said eye passes out of engagement with said jaw. When the terminal of tail-piece 21 passes below shoulder 2T on lever 18, during the uncoupl'in operation, said lever is released and is tillen free to bear a ainst said tail-piece its pressure holdin t e latch, at the conclusion of the uncoup ing, in the raised position depicted in Fig. 3 and hereinabove referred to as its normal position.

The operation of the entire invention is believed to be apparent from the foregoing, and, hence, to require no separate or addiA tional explanation.

lll

I claim as my invention:

l. A cou 1er comprising2 in combination, a fixed main member rovided with a yoke whose legs are secured3 to the opposite side faces thereof, the central portion of said yoke and the front end of said member bemg formed with :dininge perforatlons; a Swingin auxiliary mem r pivoted at its rear en to the main member, and having a casing, said casing being provided at lts rear end with a perforate keeper; coupling means mounted 1n said casing; and a s ringcontrolled bolt having its ends fitted 1n the perforations in said oke and main member and its front end a apted for engagement with the perforation in said kee er when the last-named perforation is in allnement with the first-named perforations, to lock said main and auxiliary members together.

2. A coupler comprising2 in combination, a fixed main member whose legs are secure to the opposite side faces thereof, the central portion of said rovided with a yoke oke and the front end of said member bemg formed with :dining perforat1ons; n Swingin auxiliary mem er pivoted at its rear en to the main member and having a casin at its front end, said casing hein" Erovl ed at its rear end witha perforated eeper; couplin casing and embo ying a pivoted latch and a lock associated therewith; and a spring-com trolled bolt having its ends fitted 1n the perforations in said yoke and main member and its front end adapted for engagement with the perforation in said keeper when the lastnamed perforation is in ulinement with the irst-named perforntions, to lock said main and a'uxilinry members together.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing w1tnesses.

DANIEL M. ENGEL.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. CLARK, WESLEY J. HENGLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ave cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente. Washington, D. G.

means mounted in said c 

